The aim of this project is to incorporate ionic channels in lipid bilayers and to study their properties - particularly their electrical properties. Most of our studies have been designed to determine the mechanisms responsible for negative resistance behavior in axons. A review of the work of several laboratories including our own, in this direction has been published. We have also attempted to incorporate biological channels into lipid bilayers by means of membrane fusion. This aspect is designed to determine single-channel properties of biological channels as well as to learn more about membrane fusion. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: Ehrenstein, G. and Lecar, H.: Electrically gated ionic channels in lipid bilayers. Q. Rev. Biophys. 10: 1-34, 1977.